7 Reasons You Should Run Away… #6 will change the way you travel!

7 Reasons why you should never miss an opportunity to go for a run when you travel… You get to experience the world in a unique way. Lost in your run you notice things differently and gain a whole new perspective of where you are. Running in Paris I noticed the parents walking their […]

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7 Reasons why you should never miss an opportunity to go for a run when you travel…

You get to experience the world in a unique way.

A scarlet macaw on the porch of my hotel in the quiet of dawn in Pavones, Costa Rica

Lost in your run you notice things differently and gain a whole new perspective of where you are. Running in Paris I noticed the parents walking their children to school as the smell of bread and espresso wafted out of cafes in the early morning. In Costa Rica, Scarlet Macaws greeted me in the stillness of the dawn. In the meditative state of running I was an observer and I was able to take it all in and create those special indelible memories that last a life time.

You feel like a local

You know that special feeling when you pass another runner and you wave or nod or just smile, but there’s that acknowledgment: we are one, we are runners. When I travel that feeling is amplified, as just for a moment, I feel like I live in that place and I am just another runner; in that moment I can I am a local.

You get to go to places you might not otherwise

Running while travelling has led me to some pretty amazing trails and running routes. In Vienna, we ran around the historic grounds of Schönbrunn Palace before the crowds of tourists blocked the best views and changed the magical ambience. In Dubrovnik, Croatia we found an amazing restaurant on a cliff overhanging the sea because our trail passed by it, we returned later for a fabulous meal to enjoy the stunning view, Running often leads us off the beaten path to discover new adventures!

Early morning at Schönbrunn Palace we had the place to ourselves…

You can shake off jet lag and loosen up muscles cramped from travel.

Let’s face it, these days most forms of travel pretty much suck. What better way to shake off those achy muscles than a run! Even a short run helps the body adjust to shake off jet leg and makes getting to sleep easier!

You don’t want to mess up your training

When I have a training plan I hate messing it up! And why should I? I have discovered that there is almost always somewhere to run. Sometimes it is great, sometimes not so much, but its almost always interesting and so I don’t need to mess up my training plan just because I am travelling! I try to have lower expectations of my pace, but as long as I get at least my long run in, it will all work out.

You burn calories so you can eat more of the amazing food you find when you travel

I always eat more when I travel. It’s part of the fun! Between all the extra walking a then add in a run and I can eat whatever I want and not worry about gaining weight on vacation! It’s an added bonus! Once I realized that, I made sure to fit in los of running so I could eat all the delicious local delicates without guilt. What better reason to run?!

It’s fun!

Running when travelling is fun! It’s always exciting to try a new trail, to see a new sight, to just get out there. When I am travelling on vacation I am ready to embrace the new experience and it make the run exciting. When I am travelling for work or some thing else with more obligations running helps me relax so I have the right attitude to do what I need to. Running is fun! Wherever, whenever… it makes things better!